Agostino Fabio/Getty Images | Darren Gerrish/WireImage for Selfridges
Dua Lipa and Callum Turner’s extravagant wedding in Palermo, Sicily has prompted protests from the locals. Signs reading “Palermo is not for rent” have popped up across the city.
The A-list couple — Dua Lipa, 30, and Callum Turner, 36 — had a small civil ceremony in London last week before heading to Palermo for the main three-day celebration, which has been estimated to cost around $1.7M. Approximately 300 guests have been flown in from around the world to attend events at the Palazzo Gangi and the city’s modern art gallery.
Dua Lipa and Callum Turner’s wedding in Palermo, Sicily has prompted protests from the locals due to mass closures
Lipa and Turner’s wedding has drawn the ire of the locals as it has caused significant disruption in Palermo’s historic city centre, with multiple town squares — including Piazza Sant’Anna and Piazza Croce dei Vespri — closed to the public for the entire weekend. Lipa has put on a PR masterclass for the last half-decade or so, but her gaudy Palermo wedding seems to be the first chink in her popularity armor for some time.
o melhor dia da dua lipa é sempre o próximo, né? pic.twitter.com/0zhFhLNJu3
— Dua Lipa Brasil (@dualipabrasil) June 5, 2026
Additionally, security staff working the wedding have been blacking out the cell phones of anyone approaching the venues, alleys and side entrances have been sealed off, and some residents were reportedly asked to sign NDAs. Local businesses have also said the closures are costing them entire days of revenue.
In response, protestors have lined the city with graffiti and makeshift signs that read “Palermo is not for rent,” “Our square is not your living room,” and “Palermo is not for the rich.”
Palermo’s mayor, however, has argued that the notoriety prompted by the event will ultimately serve as a benefit to the city.
“The fact that a world class artist like Dua Lipa chose Palermo to celebrate her wedding and did so just a year after her previous visit, confirms how attractive the city is today on an international level,” Palermo’s mayor Roberto Lagalla told a local newspaper.
“I understand the inconvenience caused by events of this magnitude, and I’m sorry if anyone will have to face temporary restrictions. We know that extraordinary events can leave some people unhappy because of their exceptional nature, these are limited time events. All the measures adopted were designed primarily to ensure the safety of those involved and the public,” he continued.
“We must not forget the image boost Palermo receives from occasions like this. The international visibility generated by events of this magnitude helps strengthen the city’s attractiveness and generate widespread economic benefits.”
In an attempt to smooth things over, Lipa’s team reportedly paid roughly $6,600 (£5,000) to residents in apartments affected by the extra parking arrangements.
An additional reception is set to be held on Saturday at the Villa Valguarnera with Elton John rumored to be performing.